Michael Terrell v. Terry L. Morris
493 U.S. 1 · Decided October 10, 1989 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Michael Terrell v. Terry L. Morris was decided on October 10, 1989 by a vote of 5–4. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Habeas corpus” in the Criminal Procedure area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 493 U.S. 1 · 110 S. Ct. 4 · 107 L. Ed. 2d 1 · 1989 U.S. LEXIS 4756
- Docket number
- 88-7535
- Decided
- October 10, 1989
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Habeas corpus
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Dissent | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
Michael Terrell v. Terry L. Morris, Superintendent, Southern Ohio Correctional Facility
SCDB identifiers: case 1989-001, docket 1989-001-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Habeas corpus”
- Horace Butler v. Kenneth D. McKellar
- Saffle v. Parks
- Maleng v. Cook
- Zant v. Moore
- Dugger v. Adams
- Harris v. Reed
Same Term, same area (Criminal Procedure)
- James v. Illinois
- Dowling v. United States
- Holland v. Illinois
- Baltimore City Department of Social Services v. Bouknight
- United States v. Rene Martin Verdugo-Urquidez
- Scott Wayne Blystone v. Pennsylvania
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error